On Saturday, November 25th, the Closing Tournament took place at the River Plate Sports Centre in Buenos Aires City, Argentina.  It was the last date of a series of ranked tournaments organized by the Argentinean Karate Federation. Over 200 competitors representing 14 Federations from several provinces met.  The competition was completed without incident and the 2006 ranking was defined.  The following competitors represented the Argentinean Association of Karate, Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Genbu-Kai with distinction:  Roberto Tercetti, Florencia Monzón, Dani José Villalba and Gabriel González, Agustín Tercetti (Silver Medal in Kata Kids), Martín Tercetti (Gold Medal in Kata Junior), Mariano Quesada (Bronze Medal in Kumite Adult + 80), Martín Brusca (Gold Medal in Kumite Adult -70) who also served as Kumite Coach.  Alfredo Ciccone also served as a Kumite Judge.  Sensei Héctor Arena served as the President of the Arbitrator Board.  Congratulations for the remarkable performances, showing your specialized skills and giving a excellent display of the Karate-Do discipline.  Well done all!

    Shihan Demura conducted Karate, Kobudo and Batto Seminars for seventy five adults and twenty five junior students in Warsaw, Poland November seventeenth through the nineteenth 2006.

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    Congratulations to Héctor Arena and Leandro Monzón!  Leandro Monzón is a competitor from the Argentinean Association of Karate Shito Ryu Genbu Kai, member of the Argentinean National Team of Karate.  He won a Gold medal in team Kumite and a Bronze medal in individual Kumite in the South American Sports Games of the Organización Deportiva Sudamericana (South American Sports Organization) which were held for the Karate discipline at the Velez Sarsfield Club in Buenos Aires city, Argentina.  The eleven day event began on November ninth and ran through the nineteenth.  Trainer and teacher Héctor Arena, in addition to being a member of the Organizing Committee and acting as a Referee representing Argentina was also a member of the Appeal Jury.  Well done all…

In Loving Memory Shihan Jerry Ferguson

(1960 - 2006)

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    The 2006 Genbu-Kai Holiday Awards Banquet was held at the famous Angelos and Vincis Restaurant in Fullerton, California USA.  After watching the slide show, Senpai Dan McGeough introduced everyone and Sensei Demura made a very brief welcome speech (Sensei said, that he “was hungry”).  The dinner was most excellent and there was enough to fill the large group.  After dinner this year’s awards were presented.  Many high raking students received advancements and there were several new Black Belts awarded.  Then Sensei presented the Batto-Do advancements which were immediately followed by the raffle.  The raffle prizes included rare collectors items, a beautiful sword and one of the new Genbu-Kai brand GIs.  The event was a great success and a lot of Fun for everyone.  If you missed it, you really missed out…      

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    Shihan Demura held his 41st annual "Interdojo Tournament" on Sunday November 5th at Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa, California USA.  The event began with the National Anthem and a short message from Sensei Demura. Many Genbu-Kai dojos were represented. There were board breaking demonstrations and Sensei performed defense applications with Senpai Kevin Suzuki.  Sensei was joined by a special guest Mr. Shin Kayama (holds advanced Blackbelts in Karate, Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do) and Star of "The Last Samurai." Mr. Kayama portrayed Nobutada the son of Katsumoto. He is now starring again in a movie on the Disney channel called "Windywoo." There were lots of exciting Kumite matches to watch and Kata was performed at very high levels. The Tournament ran very smoothly and was completed in the early afternoon. Thanks to everyone for making this another great event!

    Congratulations to Marieke Douglas.  She won a 2nd place trophy in Kata performing Pinan Nidan and a 5th place medal in Kumite in her very first Karate tournament.  This was at a USKA sponsored event, the Delta Karate League 2006 Winter Karate Championships on Nov 4th!  It is the biggest karate tournament on the western slope of Colorado There were over 100+ competitors at this event that brought people from all over the state!

    Keeping with a long standing tradition started by Senpai Jackie Long, the Costa Mesa Dojo has again completed the extremely rare and very unusual "Halloween Training."  When this holiday happens to fall on a regular class day, the Costa Mesa Jr. Students (and Instructors) train in their costumes.  This Karate training is a funny looking but otherwise normal Karate class (except for all the extra laughter) and everyone has extra fun.  Halloween has fallen on a Costa mesa Karate class day three times in this decade (2000, 2002, 2006).  If you missed this event, you are going to have to wait a while for the next one because it won't happen again in C.M. for seven long years until 2013.  Many of today's junior students will already be adults by then.      

    This seminar was held at the Genbu-Kai Hombu Dojo in Santa Ana, California on Sunday October 29^th.   Led by Senpai Dave Hines and Senpai Roy Center, the seminar covered the rules of competition, criteria, communications and lots and lots of Kumite practice.  While the students were practicing their fighting skills, the Senpai were practicing their referee skills.   Everyone involved learned and improved significantly at this event.

    Every Sunday at the Santa Ana, California Hombu Dojo after the morning Kata classes (except tournament days and holidays), a Batto-Do class is taught to Genbu-Kai students.   Helping to preserve the rare sword art of Toyyama Ryu Batto-Do taught by Nakamura Taizaburo Sensei to Demura Shihan.  Batto is the art of "Cutting" with the Japanese Katana sword.  The preferred target is a rolled up mat (authentic Japanese Tatami) soaked in water and held on a stand.  Safety is always paramount.  For basics and Kata, beginners start with wooden swords and advance to unsharpened metal blades.  The instructors decide when a student can train with a live (sharp) blade.  Basics and Batto Kata are practiced inside the dojo, but the cutting is done outside in the parking lot where there is plenty of room.     

       Held in the small gymnasium Saturday October 14th at Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa, California USA.  Led by Senpai Dave Hines and Senpai Roy Center with a classroom PowerPoint presentation and lots of Kumite the seminar covered all the important aspects of administrating a Karate match/tournament.  It would have been better if more lower belts had attended the event.  There were insufficient competitors to operate more than one ring of training.  If any lower belts need an incentive to attend these events, I'll give one.  "There is nowhere better to learn the subtleties and nuances of Karate competition.  This is where you can learn what the Judge is saying.  The meaning of the gestures and of the flags.  What the judges are looking for in Kata and Kumite.  Especially if you are interested in competition, this is the place to learn the rules.  "You can't win if you don't know the rules."       

    Photo of the first Genbu-Kai students to be tested in the new Colorado Dojo.  Testing was conducted September 12^th 2006 in Montrose by Senpai Damon Pace.  From left to right, Jim Franks and Dave Larkin (new 8^th kyu).  Front left to right,  Christian Brady, Domino Douglas and Marieke Douglas (new 9^th kyu).  Congratulations all, well done!

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    Genbu-Kai  students were joined by other members of the Okinawan Kobudo Rengo-Kai for an Okinawan Kobudo Seminar in the Huntley Gymnasium at Riverside City College, Riverside, California USA.  Sensei Bernard Edwards (student of the late Iwabuchi Katsuyuki Sensei) and six of his Hakua Kai students traveled all the way from San Francisco to attend.  The event was well attended and went very smoothly.  Each student learned a new Okinawan Kobudo weapons Kata and practiced it for the rest of the morning.  After lunch there was a terrific Kobudo Kumite competition (with appropriate safety equipment).   At the end of training Sensei Edwards presented Shihan Demura with gifts of wonderful historic photos of Sensei Demura with his longtime friend the late Iwabuchi Katsuyuki Sensei.  Thank you Shihan Demura for a great day of training.

    Demura Shihan with Hamamoto Sensei and members of the Genbu-Kai  Argentina board of directors having dinner in Buenos Aires sometime in 2005.  Argentina is Genbu-Kai's newest member nation and is represented by Senpai Eduardo Grassi.    Welcome and Best Wishes!    

    From 22^nd to the 27^th of September, Shihan Demura visited the cities of San Fernando, Santiago and Viña del Mar in Chile. He taught the Karate-Do and Kobudo seminars where he transferred all his energy and charisma to children, young and adults in attendance.  With Genbu-Kai Chile he performed a great number of activities including: Kata Lessons, grade exam for black belts, massive classes and camaraderie moments with all the members of the Genbu-Kai Chile.  In all these activities all Genbu-Kai members participated along with visitors from all around Chile, Argentina and Colombia.  The closure of the visit of Shihan Demura to Chile was a formal dinner at the Muelle Vergara Restaurant, located in the Vergara wharf, an over water landmark in  in Viña del Mar.  The people who took the grade exam and later graduated by Shihan Demura were:

    Genbu-Kai Chile thanks Shihan Fumio Demura for his visit and for sharing all his knowledge, wisdom, life experience, dojo experience, Karate techniques and applied philosophy through the “DO” in everyday life.

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